Waiting
by Stilla
Summary: In the aftermath of Perfect Chaos's attack on Station Square, Amy realizes that she never truly told Sonic how she felt about him. Will she be able to do so despite her fear of rejection?


_Waiting_

**Disclaimer: **Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Sonic Adventure are all © to Sonic Team/Sega and used strictly without permission for non-profit purposes only. In other words, don't sue me-- I don't have any money anyway and would have to pay you possibly with a toaster or some other random kitchen appliance. This particular story takes place after Sonic Adventure and before Sonic Adventure 2-- it is my personal belief that Amy's character was the strongest at that point, and I intend to set most of my fan fics within that time frame.

**Author's Note: **I am a SonAmy-shipper without a doubt (if this story isn't proof of this, then I don't know what is). And almost all SonAmy-shippers who write fan fiction tend to be _slightly _unrealistic when it comes down to writing the stories. This story is no exception. Out-of-character-ness? Yes. Fluff? Oh yes. General gag-worthy sweetness? But of course. That's what makes a Sonic_x_Amy work of fiction so good, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's been over two long years since I've put out anything Sonic/Amy related, and this is my first attempt since 2002 to write something that I could eventually find to be halfway decent. I hope that two years of effort is noticeable in this story, and I hope that you enjoy it.

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To the Sonic community as a whole, every last one of you who has supported me and been a friend to me throughout the last three years of my life—this story is for you.

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Dawn quietly began to approach on a warm, early summer's day, the gentle lapping of the waves soothing the soft hiss of the heated breeze as it barely touched the soft pearl-colored sand that brushed across the lush, tropical beach. Sunrise had just begun its reign, tinting the clear ocean water a vibrant pink as it reflected the faintly glowing clouds above. Not a soul was visible as the sun rose above the small beach houses scattered down the shoreline.

_Perfect running conditions._

A blue hedgehog stepped outside of one of the beach houses, closing the front door with an almost-quiet _slam _and stretched his arms above his head. Yawning, he blinked and shook his head a few times and then took off down the beach. Sand flew up at his heels as he ran, the wind whistling in his ears and the water lapping at his feet, and he felt a grin slowly spread across his face.

He came to a halt as he finished a full loop around the first four hundred or so meters of the house, barely winded. The sun had almost completely risen and the sky had lightened considerably, sunlight now pouring in through the windows of the beach house. Sonic stood in front of the house as he surveyed the beach through squinted eyes with considerable concentration, so absorbed that he didn't even notice the pink-quilled girl peering down at him from one of the windows.

She stood looking out the window in her lilac pajamas with bleary eyes, watching Sonic as he began to run again. The faintest smile touched her lips as she watched him come to a stop so quickly that he nearly toppled over into the ocean. After a moment, she turned and flopped back on her bed, sighing quietly to herself.

_Another day without him knowing. _

Amy wasn't the same girl who had fought Zero before Perfect Chaos's attack on Station Square. She had become a little more quiet, slightly more withdrawn. Concern had been obvious in many of her friends' eyes as they watched her grow into who she had become, and self-consciously she began to contact them less and less and spent most her days alone.

Yet within the time that had passed since the attack, she had gained self-confidence and a sense of control in her life. This newfound contentment had created an aura of maturity that surrounded her and was instantly noticeable to all who crossed paths with her. Everything about her had finally matured and fallen into place, leaving her no longer a little girl but an admirable, beautiful woman.

She had not forgotten about Sonic, though. Her crush on him had morphed from its giddy, bursting stage to a strange feeling that she had slowly begun to hide away from the rest of the world. Something about the way she felt had deepened and developed into something so strong that she found herself unable to speak when his name came up in conversations and resorted to letting her mind stir late at night when she was unable to sleep.

It was her belief that he would lash out at her, or worse, hate her if her secret had ever found his ears. However, it was not her nature to keep something like this to herself, and she found that it was becoming increasingly harder and harder to stay quiet as the days went by.

Every time she looked at him she vowed that she would tell him soon, told herself that she was just waiting for the right moment to do so. "Waiting for the right moment is too difficult," Tails continuously told her, "so be spontaneous and just tell him!" But the romantic in her kept her silent every time the opportunity arose, and she still found herself looking at him with the words on the tip of her tongue, waiting for the right moment.

Much to her delight, Sonic was treating her more and more like a friend every day. The ever-popular hedgehog had somehow struck a deal with the owner of the small, rentable beach houses farther down Emerald Coast and landed himself and several of his friends a one-week stay there on the waterfront. True, they all lived nearby and could have visited the beach anytime for free, but neither Amy nor Tails had protested when Sonic had suggested the vacation. To her surprise, he had invited her along without so much as a moment's hesitation, not even taking in the fact that she'd be the only girl among two males. Fortunately for her, she didn't mind-- company was company, and she was just glad she had been invited at all.

She was still surprised that he had suggested it-- Sonic was not the type to take vacations at random-- but something was different about the hedgehog, and she couldn't help wondering if he too had changed since the attack.

"Maybe he thought we deserved a break," she said to herself, hardly conscious of the fact that she had spoken aloud, and then more quietly, "or maybe he wanted to get away from the ruins too."

It hadn't been long since Perfect Chaos had destroyed most of Station Square, and the majority of the city was still covered in the rubble of fallen buildings. The city itself had gone from a tourist-magnet to a nearly deserted town, and any escape from it was welcome.

"It's amazing that this place survived the attack at all," she said to no one in particular, feeling a wave of sadness swell inside of her. "Everything else is gone."

She shook her head, snapping herself out of thought, and crawled back into her bed. The faint sound of Sonic's splashes in the ocean not far from her window comforted her, and she was able to close her eyes and doze back off.

After a week spent almost completely outside in the water, Amy let herself stay inside and relax for most of the day. The week was coming to an end, and as the hours started to pass, she felt a sense of unexplainable urgency, almost danger, which she was able to ignore by reading fashion magazines and snacking. She had spent much of the morning alongside Tails but had felt the need to get away, to think by herself for a while, and had only just been left alone when she began to feel restless.

As afternoon settled in on the beach, she realized that they would be leaving the following morning. Granted, her stay at the beach house hadn't been perfect-- being the only girl among two guys was no picnic-- but in its own way, it had been magical, and she was sad to see it end. There were moments when her eyes would meet Sonic's and they would both smile for a brief moment before one of them moved or dropped the gaze; and those moments had made the whole week worth it.

Sighing, Amy got to her feet and, slipping on a pair of red polka-dotted flip-flops, exited her room and went down the stairs and out the front door. The sky was cloudless and a bright, deep blue, and she felt a ripple of appreciation as she noticed this.

It _was _paradise, but to her dissatisfaction, it wasn't perfect-- not yet. A pang of realization hit her, and she felt the urgency growing as she realized what it was that she had forgotten to do.

_I know, I know, _she thought, almost angrily. _I'm trying. _

Frustrated, she pulled off her shirt and her short red skirt and carefully set them on the stairs, revealing a red bikini. She put her hands on her hips, trying to concentrate on the sun-drenched beach in front of her, but she couldn't ignore the nagging voice in the back of her head.

_Talk to him, Amy. Just go talk to him. _

As if in retaliation, she took off with a burst across the beach toward the water, yanking her flip-flops off and tossing them behind her toward the house where they landed about three feet from the doorstep. She kept on until she finally splashed into the water, pushing the thoughts away, to the back of her mind.

She found herself ankle deep in warm, clear ocean water, winded but all the more exhilarated. The sun's rays brushed their way through her soft, wind-blown quills as she looked out at the vast ocean.

_Finally alone._

A moment later, she realized she had thought too soon.

The slam of the front door behind her made her whirl around on the spot, nearly losing her balance and toppling into the water. Her heart lurched horribly as she realized that it was Sonic, not Tails, who was crossing the space between the house and her.

_So much for that plan._

Ignoring Sonic's whoops of joy as he sped down the sandy shore in complete bliss, she fought back the sheen of tears that were slowly covering her eyes.

_This is paradise, she told herself. Stop thinking about Sonic. You don't need Sonic. You don't._

Strangely enough, it was at this moment that Tails let out a shout as he stepped out of the beach house. She turned to face him, watching him run down the beach in his bright yellow swim trunks.

"What're you doing out here all alone?" he called as he approached her,

"I'm not alone." She pointed at Sonic right as he dove into the water barely five feet away from her. "Sonic's out here. That has to count for something." Tails began to look concerned.

"Have you talked to him yet? Don't just watch him, go talk to him!"

This was enough to make something snap inside of her.

"I'm NOT watching him! I'm out here because I want to enjoy how beautiful it is here! That's why I'm not inside!"

She sank down on her knees in the wet sand, her head nodded downward. Tails slowly lowered himself so that he was crouching next to her.

"Hey. That's not what I meant." She lifted her head, and Tails cringed at the sight of her now blotchy face. "But you should talk to him."

"I can't," she sniffled. "I don't want him to hate me."

"But maybe... maybe you should try talking to him. Let him know how you feel." He gave a slight shrug. "Sonic's not the type to hate people like that." He flashed her a smile. "Just try it, you'll feel better."

"Do you really think so?" He nodded.

"Try it! If it doesn't work, then at least you know you did your best." She gave him a halfhearted smile.

"I'll try. Thank you, Tails." She gave him a side hug, and he smiled at her cheerfully.

"You're welcome. Now, since you're going to be talking to Sonic, I'll be heading inside." He gave her a mischievous grin. "Tell me how it goes."

"Tails," she protested halfheartedly, but he had already turned and was heading back toward the house.

"You can do it," he called over his shoulder, and she could hear him laughing to himself. Shaking her head and smiling, she looked across the sand to where Sonic was heading toward her.

_Just go talk to him. You'll feel better, like Tails said. _

She watched Sonic speed back and shivered with anticipation.

_It's now or never…._

The very slight breeze whipped Sonic's quills back with the force of a windstorm as he dashed along the shoreline toward the pink hedgehog. He focused on her as she came closer and closer into view, her pink fur gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight and her green eyes glowing.

Sonic had never noticed that her eyes were green like his, and suddenly, his heart seemed to do a flip.

This caused him to stumble over his own feet and almost fall, which immediately grabbed Amy's attention and pulled her out of her daydream. Embarrassed, he regained his balance and returned to running, this time with less vigor. His muzzle flamed as he watched Amy's brow wrinkle with concern.

"Sonikku, are you okay?" she called out just loud enough for him to hear. Nervousness made her voice soft, something that was very unlike Amy Rose.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he yelled back, hurrying toward her. Everything seemed awkward now-- his movements were jerky, his feet were kicking up too much sand, and his hands seemed too big and out of place.

Amy stood perfectly still, watching Sonic come to a halt in front of her. She felt herself wobble slightly and dug her feet into the sand farther, a dizzy feeling coming over her. This feeling only intensified as he shook his quills out of his eyes and looked straight at her, making her instantly more lightheaded.

"Hi," he panted, his breath strangely shallow from his run. She twisted her hands, looking at him nervously.

"Hiya." There was an awkward pause as she looked down at her feet.

"What's up?" he asked, still breathing hard.

"Well, um, nothing really," she mumbled, not looking at him.

There was a pause.

"Oh," he said, his breathing rate beginning to steady again, and then, "I'm going to head inside, I'll see you later."

She watched him as he turned, every flawless inch of him radiating vigor, strength,_ life._ Everything that she had grown to admire about him seemed to be shining as he turned the doorknob.

And then something changed. She stood back, just looking at him. For as long as she could remember, he had been a factor in her life-- maybe even her life itself, and while that was slowly beginning to bother her. If this part of her life was destroyed, then the rest would go with it, and it was deteriorating right before her eyes, with every step that he took. And suddenly, she understood.

She loved him.

More than anything in the world, she loved him, and for as long as she had known him, she had always, always loved him-- enough to give up everything else just to be with him and enough to make her take a step forward.

"Hey, Sonic?" she said, barely loud enough for him to hear.

He turned and smiled, sending goosebumps up her arms.

"Yeah, Amy?"

_Now or never._

"I just… I wanted to say something. Would… would… is that all right with you?"

Sonic looked at the girl before him curiously from where he stood on the porch. Something stirred inside of him.

"Yeah, of course," he said after a moment's pause, running a gloved hand through his still sweaty quills. "You okay?"

_Since when has he ever been this nice?_ she thought._ Or is he just being polite?_

"Well... I just... I...."

"Amy, what is it?" Sonic raised an eyebrow but didn't look impatient.

She bit her lip, sighing very slightly. Her palms, she noticed, were getting very clammy. She wiped them at her sides, and immediately regretted this. Her legs were bare, as she was wearing a bikini, and the feeling of sweat against fur wasn't exactly comfortable or helping her mood.

"I just… I'm… I…."

He reached out and touched her arm, causing her to jump slightly. "Say what you need to say. It's okay." For a moment, she relaxed.

"What I'm trying to say is…." Nervousness caught up with her again. "I… I guess I just… I wanted to tell you… I--"

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Sonic asked gently. She looked at him, her emerald eyes bright with surprise.

"Sure, that sounds good," she said with a wavering smile. He returned the smile, and the two made their way down the shoreline. The warm water lapped at their ankles, glittering as it washed over their feet and retreated.

"So." Sonic stopped after a few moments, and looked at her. "What did you want to tell me?"

Amy took a very deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so.

"I just wanted to… talk to you, that's all." Sonic smiled, the sun highlighting his green eyes. For some reason, this only made her more nervous.

"You have to have something in mind," he said, laughing a little at nothing in particular.

"I… I guess so…." Sonic reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, startling her enough to make her jump.

"What is it, Amy?"

"It's just…." Here she stopped, looking up at him with those big emerald green eyes. Again, his heart seemed to do a flip. He cleared his throat nervously, and she looked down at her feet.

"Whatever it is, you know you can tell me," he said, trying his best to sound casual and just barely succeeding.

"Well, when you put it that way," she responded, and then let out a small laugh. When he didn't say anything, she looked up, and felt a rush of nervousness.

He was watching her with a strange expression, one that she had never seen before. A burning curiosity was ebbing its way into his green eyes as she took a tentative step forward, and for once, he had nothing to say to her.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the words out.

"Sonie… I know that… that you're aware that… that I think you're a really great person."

She fidgeted at this last part, Sonic still watching her carefully.

"Well… maybe even more than a really great person…."

She inhaled a deep, shuddery breath, and he finally spoke.

"Amy." She looked up. "It's okay. I promise, anything you say will be okay with me. Just get it off your chest, you'll feel better… I promise."

"I just can't help it--!" she burst out suddenly, looking hard at the ground. "I care about you so much, Sonic." She buried her face in her hands. "And now I've gone and ruined things by telling you."

There was a long, long silence.

And then, to her utter amazement, Sonic gently reached out and, once again, touched her shoulder lightly, urging her to continue. In her shock, she let her hands fall away from her face.

"For years now, ever since we were younger, I knew that you were one in a million, Sonikku." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And now I've probably scared you into hating me."

Sonic stood motionless, watching her as she looked down at the ground, knowing that she wouldn't look up. He could only look at her, shocked, as it finally dawned on him that she had never once truly confessed before.

"Amy…."

She took a frightened step back.

"Amy, wait."

She stopped.

"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't have to be afraid. Since when have you ever been afraid of the Blue Blur?" She gave him a tiny smile. "There, see? Just hear me out, okay?" This was greeted with a tiny nod.

"You're a great girl, Amy, a really great girl, and a good friend. That's why I invited you on this trip… as a friend." Her face fell. "But that's not all. Amy, I knew that… well, that you care. Why else would you ask me to marry you everyday?" Amy let out a small laugh, and immediately covered her mouth with her hand, making him grin.

"You know that I didn't--!"

"I know, I know," he said, his face growing serious. "I'm glad you told me. But I can't--well, I just can't--" He ran a hand through his quills. "I don't know if I really want--"

"Sonic, I can't help it," she said again, cutting him off and surprising him into silence. "I can't even stop thinking about it, and I-- I just don't know what to do."

She lifted a shaking hand up and gently touched his shoulder, and it took a moment for him to realize that he had done the same to her just moments before. The sense of danger had risen to such heights that she could almost hear radar blipping in her mind, intensifying with each passing second.

"All of these years, I never could tell you… and even though you knew, you had never heard it from me, never actually heard what I wanted so badly to say. And I can't say it, I can't, but I have to, even though I know that what I feel is wrong."

"Then say it," he said, his voice low.

"Sonic," she said, and then burst into tears. "I love you."

And with that, she turned and ran down the beach.

Dusk was just settling as the pink hedgehog stepped outside, her soft pink quills blowing just slightly in the warm twilight breeze. She was quiet as her as her eyes took in the last fading flashes of electric pink that had lit up the sky only moments before, a fragile air of resignation keeping her silent as she watched the sky begin to darken.

She didn't even notice the cobalt hedgehog approaching her, didn't feel his presence behind her. The confession she had made only hours before had left her shaky and somewhat drained. Tears had been fighting their way up all afternoon and yet she refused to let them out, refused to think about it at all. Her fear of rejection had grown so strong that she hadn't returned to the house until right before the sun began to sink below the horizon, scared that Sonic would confront her.

A hand on her shoulder came out of nowhere and made her jump, and she shrieked.

"Amy!" The figure behind her withdrew his hand from her shoulder. "It's just me, Sonic."

She whirled around, almost knocking herself over in the process.

"Hi," she said after a few seconds, bringing a hand to her chest as she tried to steady her heartbeat. "You… you startled me."

"I'm sorry." For a moment, there was silence. "Amy, I--"

"Sonic, I'm sorry for running off on you like that today," she said at the same time.

There was another awkward pause, and then he let out a nervous laugh.

"No, no, it's all right. I really shouldn't have even said anything at all." He exhaled audibly, his emerald-colored eyes glowing in the fading light as they stared straight into hers.

"Sonic," she began, and suddenly felt weary. "I'm sorry for all of this. I'm sorry you feel like you shouldn't have said anything, I'm sorry that you brought me, and I'm so, so sorry that I even told you--"

"No, Amy," he said, stopping her short. "I don't want you to be sorry for anything. You were only telling the truth."

"But I shouldn't have said anything." The sky brightened above them, and they both glanced up to see one last flash of pink as the clouds began to shift across the sky.

"I'm glad you did," he said quietly, uncharacteristically, his eyes lingering back from the sky to her own. "And I wanted to tell you something as well."

"Go ahead," she said softly.

And for a moment, time seemed to freeze all around them. Nothing moved, nothing breathed, and nothing existed beyond that beach and that sunset that surrounded them as she stood waiting, waiting, holding her breath and just _waiting. _

"I think I love you, Amy Rose."

And as she moved into his arms and the sun dipped below the horizon, she knew she was safe.

_Fin,_

_December 22nd, 2004_


End file.
